Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-07-14
TIE ELECTION LAWAND RECOG-
NIIFD PARTIES.

The new election law, intended to secure 4
speedy count cf the vote, requires the presld-
ing officer OF eacn election precinct which shall
have cast more than 100 votes at the last pre-
ceding election to select from among the quail
fed voters Of the precinct three judges and
four clerks, from the different political parties
If demanded, IS far s practicable. The plants
20 have g sufficient number of election officers
10 have two sets, one to proceed with the coGnt
while the olher diviAion is receiving ;ha bal
lots. In the room where the ballots axe being
counted no one except election officers and q
representative of each Of the political parties
shall be present. There aye two ballot boxes
required Humber one is used the first hsur to
receive he ballots, and then turned over to the
counting division, consisting of two Judges and
two clerks While the ballots in number one
are being counted number two is receiving
ballots When the ballots In number one are
counted this box Is returned to the receiving
division and number TWO is transferred TO the
counting division. This process is expected to
result IN greatly facilitating the count, but 1t is,
unless closely walchet, obviously capable Of
facilitating frauds. The interchange of ballot
boxes. repeated through The day, between the
two divisions of election officers affords q nice
svstem for substituting ballot boxes prepared
in advance. Watchfulncss Is absolutely ncCes-
sary, 1t SEEM, to prevent frauds upon the
voters unrer any system, and in the new plan
Increased vigilance IS rcquired. It appears that
the Legislature fully appreciated this defect
and so provided that representative Of each
political party should be permitted to
be present To watch the officers. In an
election Involving, as is claimed, no
contest between political parties, IS that
in August upon the constitutional amendments,
the law applies as well as IN general elections
for officers, and the political parties may each
al 7fytf tn, t "a
witness the count. As the Prohibition party
assumes not TO be a poiitica! party It may ap-
pear thEt tie witnesses Il selects can not law
fully be admitted to tie counting rooms. This
would leave the new party in an awkward posi-
tign, The letter Of the law, however, would
not preclude participation Of the local pr5hibi
tl5n ORGANIZATIONS In the count. Practical poll
Tics from the inception OF the organization of
pIohlbitionl5m down to the count Of the last
vote viii have been found necessary, and VIII
exhibit from first to last the most conclusive
evidence Of the lns!nceritT Of prohibition lead
crs in denying the political character OF their
movement. 1t IL 20 be desired that
representatives Of the rev party
be admitted to witness the count at
every voting place IN the state. They have
this right under The Jaw. l. VIII he within TIE
power of election officers TO exclude them b.
di5reEardlng the spirit of the law. But Demo
cratic and Republican election officers might as
well rcCog nize the new party first as last. The
best way to dispose OF it IS to givesno preteNt
for the cry OF fraud. 3 sufficiently large ma
i5ri.y against Prohibition. will, If fairly pro
cured by fair count, as e1IectuallY kill of and
suppress Prohibition es 1t did Greenbackism
and WashjOnesism. 1. would be playing into
the hands OF the old disgruntled political ad-
YeutUrers who have the lead in the new party
to take them strictly at their word and deny
them recognition as political party. Demo
cratic and Republican officers should know
that the disguise which these people assume IS
only to mislead credulous people. The sleeps
clothing viii he cast of permanently on cleo
ticn day,-fDallas News.
The above is published in full that each
msn, for himself, may Judge the purpose
Of the suggestions offered by the News.
THE GAZETTE does not believe that Texas
is fruitful soil in which TO SOW such seed.
For the purpose Of counting the ballots
and insuring fairness in that count, there
are too parties to the prohibition contest
In this state, viz: the ProhibitiOnists and
the Anti-Prohibitionists, each of which
is made up of Democrats and
Republicans. The two political parties,
viz: the Democracy and Repu5licanism,
are not arrayed against each other in
this contest, and the intent of the law as
well as common fairness and justice can
only be maintained by selecting the
judges from the Prohibitionists and
Anti-Prohibitionists and THE GAZETTE
believes that the spirit Of the law will be